Thursday, October 16, 2008

A Jerome Gambit Brawl


Although there are plenty of refutations of the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) adventurous people keep playing it, and many times, instead of a "simple" win for Black, those games become out-and-out brawls.


For example, here's a battle from the latest Jerome Gambit tournament -


bobbob78 - panga74
www.gameknot.com 2008


1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.f4 Nf6

An unusual defensive idea, but he gets away with it.


8.Qf5+


The way to proceed: 8.Qxe5+ Kf7 9.Qxc5 d6 10.Qg5 Re8 11.d3 Kg8 12.0-0 Ng4 13.f5 Qxg5 14.Bxg5 h6 15.Bd2 h5 16.Nc3 b6 17.Nd5 c6 18.Nc7 Ba6 19.Nxa6 Kf7 20.Nc7 h4 21.Nxa8 Rxa8 22.Rf4 Nf6 23.Rxh4 c5 24.Rf1 Rc8 25.Rf3 c4 26.Bc3 Ne8 27.Rg3 a5 28.Rh7 Kg8 29.Rh4 a4 30.Rhg4 Rc7 31.h4 Ra7 32.Bd4 a3 33.b3 cxb3 34.cxb3 Rc7 35.f6 g6 36.Rxg6+ Kf7 37.Rg7+ Ke6 38.Rxc7 Nxc7 39.Rg7 Ne8 40.Re7 checkmate, blackburne - plummy, www.chessworld.net 2007


8...Kf7 9.fxe5 d6 10.Qf3 dxe5



White has now, instead, a regular Jerome Gambit position: two pawns for a piece and he has his work cut out for him.


11.Nc3 c6 12.d3 Bb4 13.0-0 Bxc3 14.bxc3 Rf8 15.Bg5 Kg8


16.d4 Qb6

Black is not sitting still: his King has castled by hand, and White's center is under attack.
17.Kh1 Nd7 18.Qg3 Rxf1+ 19.Rxf1 exd4


The position looks simple, but it is not. Black's move asks to be checkmated in 4.


20.Bh6 g6 21.Qd6



This still mates, but White had two pleasant Queen offers: 21.Qe5 Nf6 22.Qe8+ Nxe8 23.Rf8 checkmate.


21...Qd8 22.Qxd4


White is still winning, and there still is a mate (in 12) but surely 22.Qe6+ Kh8 23.Rf7 Qg8 24.Bf4 Qg7 25.Qe8+ Qg8 26.Be5+ Nxe5 27.Qxe5+ Qg7 28.Qxg7 was simpler.


22...Qe7 23.h3

But this is not nice: Black is now winning.


23...b5 24.e5 Bb7

It was time for some consolidation with a move like 24...Qe6, when Black has stopped all the mate threats and is still up a piece.

25.e6 c5

Giving the piece back, trading Queens, and possibly looking toward a Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame -- but White's advanced pawn gives him a big edge.
26.Qxd7 Qxd7 27.exd7 Bc6 28.Rf8+
A miscalculation: White is looking for the endgame, too; and probably the draw. With the Rook on d1, instead, White can win.
28...Rxf8 29.Bxf8 Bxd7 30.Bxc5 a6 31.Kg1 draw

graphic by Jeff Bucchino, "The Wizard of Draws"

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